Wolfsong
by Eleventh End
Summary: When the full moon rises, it plays a song that only wolves can hear. Sora soon finds himself drawn into the beat, but it's a dance he can't escape. [Leon x Sora][werewolf fic]
1. Prelude

**Disclaimer:** (In regards to the entire story.) _Kingdom Hearts _and all related characters of the game are property of Square Enix. However, I _do_ own the idea for this story. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If you see a story that's clearly taken off from mine, please tell me. :D

**Warning(s):** yaoi, violence, language.

**Opening Notes:** Wow. This has been sitting in my computer's hard drive for ages, and I'm finally getting around to posting it. It's a random idea that spurred in my mind, but after searching through the site, I've found that there are only a handful of Kingdom Hearts werewolf-based stories. And, knowing me, I have to do crazy things, like trying to change that.

Even more, this story's going to feature an unusual pairing: **Leon/Sora**. All I ask is that you give it a chance, eh?

(And before you ask, yes, the title is spelled that way intentionally.)

Not much else to say. Review and tell me what you think, though! If I don't get enough reviews, I'm probably not going to continue this. I have another fic to work on, after all.

(Last thing, I swear. There aren't supposed to be many details at the end. I wrote it in a rushed way on purpose.)

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**Wolfsong  
**_by Oblivion Sky_

**I. Prelude**

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_I've never seen anything like them._

_How did they reach Traverse Town?_

_Who let them in?_

_  
They look human, but... There's something about them... Almost..._

_...Animalistic..._

_  
_"Sora! _Pay attention!_"

His companion's cry jostled the chestnut-haired youth out of his trance, bringing him back to awareness just in time to dodge a talon-adorned hand as it veered over his head. He leapt back, already lifting up his weapons in order to defend himself from the surrounding enemies. They glinted as he swung them, the steel surfaces reflecting the flickering light of the streetlamps.

The Keyblade, a formidable weapon unlike any other, one that contained incredible strength and could tap into ultimate power. Not just anyone could use it, no. It _chose_ its Master, and Sora just happened to be that lucky person.

Of course, such an honor proved a double-edged sword, as was evident in his current situation.

The Oblivion Keyblade in his right hand connected with someone's skull, spreading a dark aura through the air that was soon followed by an arc of blood, the scarlet droplets falling upon him in a parody of rain. Simultaneously, the silver Lionheart Keyblade threw another body away from him, leaving trails of fire behind it.

The crowd of opponents to his left parted, and Sora caught a glimpse of his partner fighting his way towards him. Shaggy brown hair clung to his neck with sweat, grey-blue eyes narrowed with concentration while also shimmering with excitement. Corpses fell around him, limbs missing and covered with slash marks delivered with the Gunblade.

Out of all the Keyblades, the Oblivion and Lionheart were his favorite, though Sora preferred the latter most of all. He supposed because it had been a gift from the man approaching him, though another friend of theirs had contributed as well. Still, it didn't change the fact that he took the gesture to heart. After all, Leon didn't give out presents very often, and when the stoic man did, it was best to appreciate them more than one would a gift from someone else.

And of course, Sora did just that.

Leon reached him quickly, and the two fell into the familiar back-to-back stance that they normally assumed when fighting hordes of enemies. "Don't let them bite you, Sora, whatever you do. I think I know what these are-,"

He broke off momentarily as they fought off another row of creatures -- there was no other word for them, really -- that lunged at them, returning to the same stance once they'd finished. "...If I'm right, their bite is... Just don't let it happen, understand?"

Sora nodded, sapphire-colored eyes already scanning his portion of the beasts for any sign of movement. "Don't worry, I won't."

They looked so _human_, even with the glowing eyes, canine-like fangs, and claws that were more like steel blades than nails. Disregarding those features and the growling noises, they were human. Their faces, their bodies, even their hair. Completely and utterly human. But they _couldn't_ be, not acting like this...

What _were_ they...?

One of them suddenly broke away from the rest of the group, running towards Sora on all fours. It snarled, teeth bared in a savage look as it increased the pace, taking the youth by surprise. He hadn't been expecting the sudden acceleration, and it threw his own defensive move off. He wouldn't be able to get the Keyblade up in time, making him open to the creature's attack--

That attack was stopped short in a flash of metal, accented immediately by a spray of blood that showered down on Sora, coating him in a fine layer of ruby red liquid. It dripped into his mouth, coarse and metallic, and then trailed into his eyes, causing them to sting terribly, enough that he cried out in surprise.

When he finally managed to rub the blood from his eyes, he saw the body of the thing lying on the ground before him, head gone and Leon's Gunblade still poised over its mutilated neck. It was sickening, disgusting. A crimson cascade poured from the fatal wound only to pool around his feet, seeping into his shoes while filling his senses with the scent of death.

He attempted to take a step back, but the other's hand circling his wrist caused him to hesitate. He sent Leon a confused glance, but found his friend staring out at the horde, completely frozen in place. "Leon, what-?"

The man interrupted, effectively hushing him with the urgency in his quiet voice. "Don't move, Sora; we can't fight them like this. Wait until I tell you to run."

"Why-?" he started, but fell silent as soon as he saw the gazes of the creatures.

All of their eyes were blazing, filled with pure fury, the rage heightened to such an extent that a shudder ran down his spine, his own breath catching in his throat. He'd never seen anger like this, not wrath incarnate as this seemed to be.

Did they really care about their companions so much?

And then he saw it, something moving behind the yellow orbs of the one closest to him. Something was shifting, restless, wanting to break free. It was in all of them, like some huge animal trying to release itself from the confines of its current form.

Sora shivered again, trying to jerk his wrist out of Leon's grasp. He didn't want to be here right now. Yes, anywhere but here would do. "Leon, c'mon, let me go-!"

At just that moment, an ethereal howl broke out from somewhere in the crowd, echoing through the streets of the town. It was soon joined by more howls until the eerie chorus was all that Sora could hear. In fact, he was so caught up in the song that he didn't realize that Leon was dragging him through the group, decapitated bodies falling left and right as he sliced a path for them.

Sora moved to run beside him once they'd broken out into the open, letting the Oblivion Keyblade vanish until he needed to dual-wield the weapons again. For now, he was sure that he'd be all right with only the Lionheart out; that is, if they weren't surrounded again.

Leon led them into the Second District, ducking toward the alley as soon as they passed through the large wooden door that separated the two areas. Rapid footfalls indicated that they were being chased, though Sora didn't dare to look back to see how far away the creatures were. Part of him knew that he'd be distracted from running, while the other part didn't want to see those eyes again, that animalistic rage.

As they dashed past the pool of water that led to the secret waterway, he glanced up at Leon, fighting the urge to break his stride. "Why aren't we going in there?"

"'Can't lead them to Merlin," the other replied, picking up the pace as another crazed howl sounded behind them, "We'll get into the hotel and circle back to the Third District, and if we don't lose them, _then_ we'll go to Merlin."

Sora could only nod, rushing down the alley until they reached the low balconies of the hotel rooms. Without a second thought, he used the building's wall to launch himself upwards, catching the railing easily and flipping himself over. Leon appeared a moment later, using the same method.

"C'mon," he muttered, already running through the open glass door. Sora followed, though he bothered to lock the door behind them using the Keyblade; it _was _still a key, after all.

The brightly colored rooms lost their detail, forming into one blur as the pair raced through them, knocking aside chairs and other objects that were in their way. Things scattered, one large vase falling to the ground with a thunderous crash. Neither of the two paid any attention to it, concentrating on escaping their pursuers.

As soon as they reached the front entrance, there was an ear-splitting sound of shattering glass, signifying that the beasts had chosen to break through the door rather than deal with the lock. Sora hesitated, unconsciously stepping closer to his friend, tightening his grip on the Lionheart if only to reassure himself that the weapon was still there.

These creatures obviously weren't as stupid and primitive as first thought. No, if they'd realized that they could simply jump _through_ the glass instead of having to go around, they had some level of intelligence, which wasn't a good thing for their "prey".

Leon obviously had come to the same conclusion, as he was already pulling Sora towards the grand double doors of the hotel, which he shoved open with one hand. "Let's go, we don't have much-,"

His voice abruptly dropped away as they stepped outside, and once Sora saw _why_ he'd stopped talking, he froze, his eyes widening with something between shock and a tinge of fear.

They were surrounded again. Apparently, the horde had divided themselves in two, sending one half after Leon and Sora while the other waited to intercept them. The latter was standing before them, staring at them with those same glowing eyes. The other group could be heard stepping out of the building, growling and pacing.

Oh yes, these creatures were highly intelligent, whatever they were.

Why hadn't they realized it sooner...?

Before either of them could move or even lift their weapons, the beasts had lunged, clawed hands extended and teeth bared. Sora felt another body collide with his, knocking him to the floor with it still on top of him. He kicked at it, stifling a cry as it raked its nails over his chest, tearing through the fabric of his shirt as if it weren't there at all. Blood erupted from the wounds, crawling over his skin and seeping to the ground.

Somehow, he managed to throw it off of him, scrambling to his feet as soon as he could. To his dismay, Sora found that the Keyblade had gone flying during the scuffle, and before he could pinpoint its location, he'd been tackled again. This time, however, the creature didn't pointlessly scratch at him. No, this time, it plunged those glimmering talons into Sora's stomach, drawing a scream from him as his body writhed, blood forcing its way up his throat.

He couldn't fight it off. He couldn't even use his magic against it, not without the Keyblade to focus the energy. He was helpless, unable to do anything but cough up the blood that filled his mouth, shudders causing him to convulse.

The claws were soon wrenched from his abdomen, even though they had already dug through his stomach completely. He shrieked again, too overcome with pain to notice that the attacker had been thrown off of him. It hurt worse than it should have, so much more than he thought it would. It was as if someone had poured acid into the wound, letting it work its way into his body and burn him from the inside.

No. He had to be strong, had to concentrate, had to fight these _things_, whatever they were.

Willing his eyes to open, he found Leon standing over him, wielding the Gunblade as fast as possible. The man's hair was matted with blood, his arms positively drenched with it. Nevertheless, he continued to hold the beasts back, defending Sora with everything he had.

But even as he watched, still trying to get enough air around the blood filling his throat, he caught the movement of another creature making its way towards Leon. It weaved its way through its companions, carrying itself low to the ground so as to not attract attention. It slipped closer, ducking underneath the range of the Gunblade as the weapon swung its way. The man hadn't noticed it, as was intended, and Sora's cry of warning was lost as the thing leapt into the air, aimed straight for its opponent.

For a moment, Sora thought he was imagining things; right before his eyes, it had transformed, seamlessly changing in a large grey wolf. Fur had rippled along its skin, human features elongating into a muzzle. Bones cracked to shape the canine body, deadly fangs glistening with saliva.

And there was nothing Sora could do, absolutely nothing at all, as those fangs sank into Leon's shoulder.

His friend didn't scream, didn't yell, not even as blood poured from the puncture wounds. No, the most he did was gasp before gritting his teeth in pain, eyes clenched shut as if that would help. The wolf's weight sent Leon to his knees, driving its fangs in deeper. Its snout was awash with the garnet liquid, yellow eyes gleaming with a fierce excitement.

It jerked its head to the side, tearing at Leon's shoulder, but not to rip off skin. The wolf wasn't _eating_. If anything, it only seemed to be interested in _biting_ the man, making sure that its fangs were imbedded as far as they would go.

One of Leon's hands was gripping the wolf's head, trying to pry it away. Despite his efforts, it continued to cling to him, blood now covering the entire left side of his body. The splash of scarlet from the initial bite had grown, spreading across the floor with every new application of strength from the wolf and sharp intake of breath from the man.

Sora could only watch in horror, pure and simple horror, as Leon's grasp on the wolf slowly relaxed, falling away as his body slumped against the wolf's. He collapsed once the beast released him, backing away to rejoin the rest of the group.

Leon wasn't dead; the shallow rise and fall of his chest proved that he'd only lost consciousness. Nevertheless, that didn't stop Sora from panicking. He started to sit up, but as soon as he moved, sheer agony lanced through him, the gaping wound in his stomach protesting the action.

He fell back to the ground with a soft cry, muffling it as best he could. Much to his surprise, the creatures only glanced at him before starting to back away in a simultaneous movement. Not even one approached him, the horde soon vanishing into the surrounding shadows, or maybe it was only his fading eyesight, darkening around the edges, obscuring the front of the hotel, the strange figures...

Sora promptly let out a groan and fainted.

**  
- tbc.**


	2. Lullaby for the Wolf

**Disclaimer:** (In regards to the entire story.) _Kingdom Hearts _and all related characters of the game are property of Square Enix. However, I _do_ own the idea for this story. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If you see a story that's clearly taken off from mine, please tell me. :D

**Warning(s):** yaoi, violence, language.

**Opening Notes:** Eee, thanks for such wonderful reviews! Without them, I probably wouldn't have gotten to work on this chapter for ages. (Even though it's been _way _too long as it is. This chapter gave me so much trouble that it's not even funny.)

So, thanks a bunch, everyone! (Especially **Mandeth**! This chapter's totally for her.)

One last thing. (Honestly!) This takes place after the _first _Kingdom Hearts game. The Nobodies don't exist. The Organization doesn't exist. I probably won't be using any of the characters from _Chain of Memories _or the second game. Sorry! D: But I might change my mind later...

'Hope you like this. I'm actually not too happy with the chapter. Bleh. I blame Aerith. It's all her fault.

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**Wolfsong  
**_by Oblivion Sky_

**II. Lullaby for the Wolf**

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Leon drifted in and out of a hazy, pain-fogged state, everything blurry and confused. For whatever reason, he couldn't break through the barrier of consciousness. A part of him knew that something was keeping him from doing so, but the other part couldn't comprehend the fact, focusing only on the constant pain traveling through him.

Most of the time, though, dreams occupied his mind. None of the dreams were pleasant, nothing but terrifying nightmares that made him want to scream. They were filled with twisted shapes and snarling creatures, and always, the light of the full moon was beating down upon the shadows.

The pain was always worse after the nightmares. He could feel himself thrashing wildly outside of his comatose condition, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. As it was, all he could do was allow his mind to wander aimlessly as his body tortured itself, his shoulder searing incessantly with something short of agony.

'_I need to wake up, dammit... Why can't I wake up?'_

**---**

"_Sora!"_

_He was running down the streets of Traverse Town, Keyblade in his hand, footfalls resonating through the empty area. The cry came out of nowhere, but he immediately recognized the voice, eyes widening as he skidded to a halt. The other's tone was fearful, panicked - _why is he scared? - _desperate, pain-filled..._

"_Leon, where are you!"_

_He took off running again, ears listening for the reply, anything at all that would indicate where his friend was. It came a moment later, seeming to be from the alley just ahead of him._

"_Sora, they're-!"_

_And quite abruptly, Leon's words became a piercing scream._

_Sora ran faster, rounding the corner and ducking into the alley, frantically searching for Leon - _where is he dammit where is he! - _anywhere, anything, gaze finally landing on the shadows at the end of the alley. He could faintly make out Leon's form, pressed up against the brick wall, surrounded by writhing black shapes. And then those shapes began to separate, becoming figures, animals..._

_Wolves._

_One of the beasts leapt at Leon, Sora darting towards it and unable to do anything as its gleaming fangs dug into Leon's throat. Blood sprayed like a fountain, but Leon didn't make a sound, his previous scream dying away._

_Sora screamed for him, letting go of the Keyblade and trying to wade through the wolves, crying out as they snarled and nipped at him, shoving him to the floor of the alley so that he had to fight to regain his footing._

_He managed to get to Leon, who was now curled up on the ground. He was shaking and before Sora could say anything, he had started writhing, convulsing horribly. The screaming started again, the wolves behind them echoing it with chilling howls._

_Leon changed._

_In the man's place was a large wolf, and it snarled at him, its growl growing louder to compete with the howling. Sora backed away, breath coming in gasps, a strangled sound escaping him when the other wolves blocked his escape._

_Leon stalked closer._

_The wolves dragged him to the ground again, pinning him, leaving him utterly helpless. Sora struggled despite that, panic overwhelming him, blue eyes filled with terror, the color glittering with tears._

_Leon attacked._

Sora awoke with a shout, eyes flying open as he bolted upright. The second he did so, a jolt of pain traveled through him, forcing him to relax. The injury in his stomach still ached tremendously, a burning sensation spreading through him before it faded, settling to a dull throbbing.

Slowly, the fear left by the nightmare began to ebb away, allowing him to relax back into the chair he was sitting in. His eyes remained open, though, focusing on the bed that the chair was next to. Specifically, the figure lying in the bed.

It had been a week since the attack, and Leon hadn't woken up.

Sora was, to put it simply, terrified. Not even Aerith, the group's healer, knew what was wrong with him. Her magic hadn't worked on the man's wound, and the most they could do was wrap it tightly in bandages in an attempt to keep the bleeding down. It didn't do much, as the white material was always stained a deep, dark red color within a few hours.

Excessive bleeding wasn't the only complication, of course. Leon's temperature would soar during the night, and it usually took the sacrifice of a few hours of sleep to nurse him through the raging fever. When his temperature returned to normal, he was always soaked in sweat, and the blood always flowed faster from his wound.

What terrified Sora the most were the seizure-like fits that Leon endured. They occurred at random and without warning. Some lasted only a minute or two, but several had lasted for over ten minutes. Regardless of the duration, all of the fits had Leon twisting wildly on the bed, screams of pain leaving him as his fingers attacked the wound, almost clawing at it. One time, Sora would've sworn that he'd heard the man howl, a sound so primal and livid that it had left him shaking while Aerith wiped the sweat from Leon's forehead.

Most of the time, Aerith was in the room tending to the man, but Sora wasn't sure what she was doing when she left every day in the afternoon. She would only disappear for three or four hours at a time and would return before the sun had set. Until then, Sora was left alone to care for Leon.

Even with Aerith's protests that he should be resting as well, Sora had volunteered -- or rather demanded -- to help the older brunette recover from the attack. Outwardly, he told himself that he just wanted to see his friend through such a brutal injury, but the truth was that he felt partially responsible for what had happened. He knew he was being foolish and that it was the creature's fault that Leon was in such a state, but the notion remained in spite of the logic.

He'd taken up living in the once-vacant house so that he'd be able to stay with Leon at all times. He would sleep in the chair beside the bed or curl up on the floor, not caring how uncomfortable both choices were as long as he could keep watch over the other. Aerith would bring him food and a change of clothing during the hour or two that Leon was calm and truly sleeping, but other than that, he was on his own.

The door opened abruptly, jostling Sora from his thoughts. He turned his head to see Aerith entering the room and offered her a small smile as he lifted his arms to stretch. "Back so soon? It's not even six yet."

The woman returned the smile half-heartedly, walking over to him without shutting the door. The action caused Sora to frown, but he didn't say anything, taking notice of the unusual look in her eyes as she spoke. "We might've figured out what's wrong with Leon," she said, skipping over a greeting.

If possible, Sora's frown deepened. "Wait, 'we'? Who're you talking about?"

Aerith sighed loudly, and if Sora hadn't known her so well, he might've thought that the sigh had been one of exasperation. "Merlin. I've been going to his house to research Leon's condition. I figured that he'd be able to help find out what those things were because he's a wizard..."

She smoothed her hands over her pink dress, brushing at imaginary dirt. "We just had a break-through," she continued, but her jade eyes didn't light up with excitement, as they should have. "I think you should come to see what we found out."

Sora bit his lip, glancing between the woman and Leon's prone form. He didn't want to leave his friend alone in such a state; what if he had another fit?

Aerith seemed to sense his hesitancy. "It won't take long, Sora. He'll be fine for half an hour, I promise."

Trusting her, the younger of the two nodded, the indecision replaced with a biting anxiousness. Eager to hear what Merlin and Aerith had discovered and why the flower maiden suddenly looked so grave, he headed towards the open door.

"If anything happens to him, I'm entirely blaming _you,_" Sora said jokingly, a small attempt at lightening the unexpectedly somber air that had settled between them.

Aerith just smiled weakly.

**---**

His mind was no longer his own.

There was something lurking within its depths, no more than a shadow in his delirious state, but sometimes that shadow would grow fangs and claws and snarl at him as if he was an enemy. Other times, though, it would speak.

Like it was doing now.

_Humanletmeout._

"_I don't know what you're talking about,_" Leon answered mentally, knowing that it was the only way to communicate with the growling voice that echoed through his head. "_I don't even know who you are._"

_Iamyourbeast._

"_My beast?_" he reiterated, telepathic voice taking on a confused tone. "_What the hell is that supposed to mean?_"

The shadow didn't give him a clear answer, instead returning to its first statement. _IamtrappedwithinyouandIwanttobeletout._

In any other situation, Leon knew that he'd be angry at this point, that he'd be downright furious. However, all he felt was weariness, possibly indifference, and the reason for such was unknown to him. "_You're not making any sense._"

_YOUINCOMPETENTHUMAN._

Leon immediately recoiled, taken aback by the sheer animalistic rage filling the shadow's voice. It continued even as he felt the anger flood through his physical body, causing his bite wound to flare up in pure agony.

_RELEASEMEFROMTHISPRISONIWANTTOBEFREE._

The pain increased sharply, and he knew that he was screaming, but the shrieks couldn't be heard within his mind. All that he could hear was the shadow, the furious snarls mixing in with the barely coherent words as it refused to stop shouting at him, its wrath enough to terrify him.

_LETMEOUTLETMEOUTYOUDON'TEVENKNOWWHATYOUHAVEBECOME._

Leon didn't have time to ponder the end of the shadow's statement, too distracted by the mixture of imaginary and real pain. He was having trouble separating the two, unsure of whether the claws tearing through him were actually there, or if the blood spilling from his mouth was just his imagination. His head was aching from the shadow's yelling, a sharp throbbing starting right behind his eyes. Fire seemed to be racing across his skin, followed by a sensation of fierce cold.

Gradually, Leon was lost within the chaos of his mind, forgetting what the shadow had said under the onslaught of torture. All he could think of was the pain, and as such, he didn't even notice when he once again fell into the abyss of unconsciousness.

**---**

Out of all the places Sora had ever been, Merlin's house was still the strangest of them all. The location itself was peculiar; the house was built on a tiny island in the center of a small lake that was hidden in a cavern off the Third District of Traverse Town. Inside, it was nothing but a cluttered mess. Spell books were scattered over the floor rather than in the bookshelves that lined the wall, while chairs and other pieces of enchanted furniture moved about as they pleased. A bed was shoved into one corner, hardly looking to be slept in at all save for the unmade covers. In the center of the room stood a miniature podium, a dingy table set up on top of it.

Sora found himself standing beside the table, looking down at the books and pages of notes that covered the surface. He couldn't read the handwriting on the parchment that Merlin was so fond of using, but he could tell the difference between Aerith's feminine script and the wizard's haphazard scrawl. Other than that, he relied on the two of them to translate the writing.

Aerith stood next to him while Merlin sat in the ornate chair placed in front of the table, shuffling papers and setting out books. Both had yet to say a word to the boy, and Sora was about to break the silence when Merlin spoke. "I trust that Aerith has told you we've discovered something about Leon's condition?"

At Sora's nod, the wizened mage continued. "When we first came to the conclusion, I did not believe it. As such, I think it would be best to break the news to you slowly-,"

"Wait," Sora interrupted, unable to stop himself from worrying as he heard those words. "Leon's not going to die, is he? It's not that bad, right?"

He didn't allow the terror he felt to show in his eyes. If Leon died, Sora had no idea know what he'd do. The man meant more to him than he knew was healthy. The prospect of Leon no longer being there shocked Sora to the very core, sent a thrill of fear through him as he awaited Merlin's response.

The wizard's gravelly voice betrayed his hesitancy to answer, only plummeting Sora's mood further. "Well... It is a possibility, I can't deny that. Nevertheless, I'm certain that with Leon's strength and sheer will, he'll be able to overcome it."

Sora could feel Aerith's concerned gaze on him as he inhaled sharply, but he didn't turn to look at her, instead concentrating on the elderly man. "Overcome _what? _You still haven't told me what's wrong with him."

"Sora, I need you to tell me exactly what Leon's been going through over the course of the past week," Merlin stated, effectively avoiding the boy's question.

The brunette let out a frustrated sound, but he did as he was told. "His temperature gets really high at night, and he's had... seizures a lot. The bite on his shoulder won't heal, either. It hasn't stopped bleeding, and Aerith's magic won't work on it."

Merlin waved a wrinkled hand, nodding his head at the same time. "Yes, she's told me that. Has there been anything else that's happened?"

Sora bit his lip, shifting uncomfortably under the wizard's piercing gaze. Nothing came to him at first; other than those symptoms, nothing else seemed unusual. Disregarding the fits and abnormalities of the wound, Leon just appeared to be sick...

But quite abruptly, it hit him, and his gaze snapped back to Merlin. "He howled. It sounded like an animal, I guess, maybe a..."

Sora found himself trailing off, some part of him not wanting to say the creature he was thinking of. The dream from half an hour ago was still fresh in his mind, memories of the attack joining it. The sight of the creature transforming, the eerie chorus that had risen from the others... All of it was flooding back to him at once.

"A wolf, Sora?" Merlin's voice cut through his thoughts, but he looked up at Aerith before he could see the boy's startled expression. "Do you remember hearing this, Aerith?"

The flower maiden was frowning as she glanced at Sora in curiosity. "No. I've heard him scream something awful, but I've _never _heard him howl... It would make sense, though."

Merlin lifted a brow. "And what of the fact that only Sora could hear it?"

Aerith shrugged, riffling through a handful of the papers as Sora watched their discussion with growing confusion. "He was hurt by them, too... His injury won't heal completely, either, so maybe it's given him a few of their attributes-,"

"Could you just tell me what's wrong with Leon?" Sora spoke up abruptly, not particularly caring if he was being rude. _'Why can't they just get it over with? They brought me down here to talk about it, so why are they stalling?'_

Merlin sighed heavily, leaning back in the large chair. His gaze fixed itself on Sora's as one hand smoothed through his thick beard. Immediately, Sora felt a sense of fear, the same one that had risen only a few minutes ago. He didn't want to hear what Merlin was about to say, didn't want to know what was happening to Leon...

"Sora, we believe that Leon's become a werewolf."

Silence followed the statement, filling the small house as Sora tried to process the information. When he did, he let out a sharp laugh, the sound seeming much too loud in the otherwise quiet room. "I'm not _that _gullible, Merlin. But seriously, what's wrong with Leon?"

The wizard made no notion that he had been joking, no twinkle in his eyes or quirk of his lips. He merely regarded the Keyblade Master with a saddened expression. "I'm afraid that I'm being completely serious, Sora. We've studied everything that has happened to Leon, and all of it points to the werewolf."

Sora shook his head, previous grin faltering into a frown. Werewolves didn't exist. Everyone knew it was a legend based on human fears, that it was a monster created for children's bedtime stories. A man couldn't transform into a murderous beast purely from the light of a full moon. They simply didn't exist.

"Werewolves aren't _real, _Merlin," the brunette repeated, "Neither are vampires, demons, goblins-,"

"Demons are _very _real, Sora," Aerith interrupted, and he was somewhat surprised to hear how tense her voice was. "I once knew a man that had four of them living in his head. They could take over his body at will, and they nearly drove him insane. He tried to kill himself several times, but Cid or Cloud always stopped him..."

The woman exhaled deeply. "No, demons are real. And so are werewolves and vampires. How else would you explain what's happening?"

Sora fell silent, unable to think of a way to reply. He didn't have to think long as Merlin spoke again, his voice so solemn that it scared the boy. "What Leon is currently going through are the effects of the curse settling into his body. He'll need to adjust to living with the instincts of a wolf, as well as the actual thing."

Before Sora could ask what he had meant, the mage continued, answering the unspoken question. "Leon will be sharing his mind with the wolf, much like the man that Aerith was talking about. It will always be there and will most likely take over his body during transformations until Leon learns how to remain in control."

Aerith took up the explanation, leaning over the table and picking up a certain sheet of parchment that was covered in calculations and notes. "He'll stay in this condition until the next full moon, which is exactly twenty-two days from today. On that day, the curse will be complete, and..."

"...He'll turn into a wolf," Sora finished for her. He sounded distant to himself, as if he were hearing the conversation from far away. This couldn't be happening, could it? Leon couldn't _really _be a werewolf, could he...?

But despite how much he longed to protest it, how his mind wanted to rebel against the idea, Sora knew it was true. Somewhere deep inside of him, he knew it. He may have known it all along, his brain ahead of him and adding up the clues while he struggled to understand the situation.

'_Leon's a werewolf... He... Even if he lives until the full moon, he'll still transform into... into some kind of monster...'_

If Aerith and Merlin were speaking, Sora didn't hear them. He could feel the sting of tears in his eyes, all at once realizing how one simple bite was going to change his friend's life. Leon wouldn't be the same, _couldn't _be the same...

'_He isn't even human anymore. He's a... a wolf_, _an animal...'_

Something was nagging at him amidst his inner turmoil, a drumming beat in the back of his head. His watery blue gaze flicked upwards to look at Aerith, cutting off whatever she was saying to the wizard as he spoke. "What did you mean earlier? About me being the only one that heard Leon howling. You said that they gave me their attributes."

There was a frantic quality to his voice, one he didn't like at all. But he was worried, worried about what the flower maiden would say, what conclusion she'd come to...

Aerith displayed the same hesitance that Merlin had at the start of the meeting, though she replied in an even voice. When she didn't meet Sora's eyes, his panic grew, recognizing the beating as the pounding of his own heart.

"The lycanthrope curse isn't passed only through bites. It's almost like a disease that's transferred by injuring another person. Their saliva carries the poison, but it's only active when they're biting something, kind of like a snake," the woman explained, glancing down at another book momentarily to check her information. Before continuing, she let out a small sigh, and that worried Sora more than ever.

"It's also been determined that werewolves carry a... lesser version of the venom in their claws," she murmured, and the boy was certain that her eyes traveled to the bandaged wound in his abdomen. That action alone sent a wave of nausea through him, stomach twisting in nervousness. Like before, he knew what she was going to say, mind figuring it out long before he could come to terms with it.

"So... You're saying that I was... infected, too?" he asked tentatively, words dripping with the anxiety he felt.

It was as if the ground had fallen out below him when he saw Aerith nod, looking quickly to Merlin in order to confirm it. The wizard was nodding as well, eyes hidden behind his glasses as he tilted his head downwards, hands folded in the lap of his midnight-blue robes.

His heart seemed to have leapt into his throat, but Sora forced himself to keep talking. If he stopped talking, it would be too real. And right then, he didn't know if any of it was real or not.

"But... Why isn't it affecting me the same way? Why is Leon practically _dying _when I've never felt better?" he asked, attempting and failing to control his breathing. It was uneven, quickening as his stomach continued to twist and bend.

Merlin didn't say anything, allowing Aerith to answer the question. "You weren't bitten, Sora. You'll probably only gain half of the werewolf's abilities, so the curse isn't as strong as it is for Leon..."

"A half-werewolf, per say," the mage reiterated, stare fixed upon the table. "You won't transform, and you won't have a wolf living within you... Basically, we believe that you'll only have heightened senses, and you'll obviously be able to hear things that we humans cannot, if that howl is anything to judge by..."

Sora felt himself nodding, but it was like watching the scene play out from somewhere other than his own body. He didn't feel himself leave Merlin's residence, couldn't remember walking through the Third District on the way back to the house. Everything was dreamlike, and he could feel Aerith's troubled gaze on him, but he did nothing to reassure her.

It was impossible to accept. He didn't feel different; he _wasn't _different...

He was Sora, just Sora...

**---**

He could hear someone speaking to him. He couldn't place the voice, yet it was so familiar, soothing the pain running through his head and numbing that of his physical body. It was submerging him in a pleasant state, the tranquil feeling washing over him in cooling waves.

There was the silky touch of fingers brushing his forehead, but Leon could barely feel it. The ghost of a tingling sensation was all that reached him. In spite of that, he was still calmed, the growling of the shadow subdued for the time being.

He couldn't make out the words that were being said. However, the fondness in them was clear, but it was coupled by several notes of sorrow and apology. Regardless, it helped immensely, keeping the shadow at bay and allowing him a chance to recover.

His body refused to wake up, though, and as the gentle whispering persisted, Leon felt himself sinking back into unconsciousness, back into the haze of dreams and tinges of pain.

At the last moment, the name occurred to him, but there was nothing he could do to act upon it as he drifted, lulled to sleep by the comforting voice.

'_Sora...'_

The dreams were pleasant this time.

**  
- tbc.**


End file.
